Nettie Jenkins from Flight for Life Fond du Lac Base recently ran a course I organized for our students that gave them hands-on experience about heart and lungs. To do so, our students dissected and examined pig hearts and lungs.

Now, if a picture is worth a thousand words, for those with a weak stomach, the one that might come to mind first is “yuck” when glancing through the images below.

But, truthfully, the words that should resonate most are “life-saving” and “learning.”

Activities like this are critical so they can relate that to patients that they will have in the future, and these pictures gives an insightful look at the work we’re doing to prepare our students for their life-saving work. To look at and handle different structures, especially the heart and lungs, solidifies what we have been training in the first semester of the program and continuation to their completion in May.

And, guess what, if you’re considering a career as a paramedic, we’d love to start you on your own training journey as well.

People’s lives often depend on the quick reaction and competent care of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. Incidents as varied as automobile accidents, heart attacks, drowning, childbirth and gunshot wounds all require immediate, professional medical attention. As a paramedic, you could provide this vital attention as you care for and transport the sick or injured.

So here’s a few final words to ponder if you’re interested in this field: “You can do this.”